Traders have claimed shoppers are already "avoiding Burton like the plague" due to the closure of St Peter's Bridge

They have said they fear being hit hard in the pocket by the three-month closure to bridge, which is a main route into town.

The bridge was closed on Tuesday, August 29, as the work to replace vital rusted bearings on the bridge began.And yesterday, Wednesday, August 31, the car park at St Peter's Bridge supermarket Tesco was very empty, although the store itself was fairly busy inside.

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Other business owners have opted for altering their trading hours in a bid to help their companies survive, as customers were avoiding the area, they said.

Karl Phillips, owner of Phillips Florists in St Peter's Street, near the bridge, said the "proof will be in the pudding" as to which businesses survive when the job is finished.

Mr Phillips, 52, said: "We have been in Stapenhill for 15 years and we rely on footfall and people driving by the shop and popping in to buy from us. If traffic isn’t going by then we won’t have that. I do believe this is going to cost every business in Burton."

DEGM20170830I-018_C.JPG Picture - Geoff Girvan-Merryweather Pictures of St Peter's Bridge on the second day of the closure, and also of TESCO which has an almost empty car park due to the closure it is believed.

Mr Phillips, who lives in Ashby Road, said he is really worried about the impact the closure will have on his business and the popularity of the town as a whole.

He said: "It is the talk of the pub and I think this will knock the stuffing out of the town. I think it is too early to tell at the moment but all I know is that people are avoiding Burton like the plague.

"I travelled from Stapenhill to Burton and it was like a Sunday morning but it is terrible at peak times and will be absolutely gridlocked when the kids go back to school. I think the one big thing is that it could benefit places like Swadlincote if shoppers decide to go there instead."

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Mr Phillips has created a sign to show people that the works are taking place and noting new delivery times which are in force because of the bridge closure.

He said: "I do like to have a dig every now and again because I don’t think the planners have really thought through the full impact this will have on traders and the sign reflects that frustration. One or two people have been taking pictures of the sign but everything that is on it is true, to be honest I think they should be working 24/7 to get this done quicker.

Work has begun on St Peter's Bridge

"We have had to adapt already to try to encourage people to use us and have extended our delivery times from 8.30am until 5.30pm to 7am until 9pm."

Elaine Pritchard, 56, one of the leaders of WiRE (Women in Rural Enterprise) in the Burton area and a champion of Small Business Saturday, said that the closure would have an impact on both bricks and mortar businesses, which have premises, and small businesses where people worked from home.

Mrs Pritchard, who lives in Stretton, said: "There will obviously be an impact on businesses big and small in Burton but I also want to draw attention to the impact to the people that are running businesses from home.

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"Small businesses are so vital to our local economy and it is the people who work for them and run them that are going to be most affected.

"One lady in Stapenhill is a singing teacher but when the children go back to school there is going to be more disruption. Youngsters might decide it is not worth the hassle which will mean they miss out and there will be an effect on the business.

St Peter's bridge is one of the main routes for commuters travelling in and around Burton

"However, bricks and mortar businesses will be equally impacted because most people will have to go through town. We understand that the work has got to be done but the impact is going to be absolutely massive and those three months could be the difference between companies staying in business or not."

Mrs Pritchard said many traders fear that the essential works will "destroy Christmas trade".

She said: "Everyone is nervous that it might go on until Christmas and destroy Christmas trade especially as small business Saturday is in December this year which is a crucial day where a lot of money is spent by people shopping.

"We have to be concerned that the bridge might not be open by then and we also have to be realistic."